It’s difficult dealing with menopause symptoms at the best of times, but coping at work is more of a challenge. This article will address the concerns and solutions to work related issues for the menopausal woman and how to cope with them.
This isn’t going to be one of those generic articles from some health blog that has little to no practical experience with menopause.
I’m am actually in menopause and I have a lot to say.
I can tell you that it is a huge challenge dealing with menopause at work. It’s a major disruption in a woman’s life just like pregnancy is.
Employers accommodate pregnancy because of the changes to a woman’s body, and the stress they go under, but menopause is the opposite end of the spectrum. Shouldn’t we get that preferential treatment too?
Darn right we should, but it’s hard to come by!
There is no real understanding for menopause in the workforce these days. If you feel sick because you’re suddenly experiencing a hot flash, you don’t get any sympathy.
And there’s no maternity leave for menopause.
Oh how I wish there was!
I think a lack of communication is part of the problem. We don’t always speak up about the challenges we face as a middle-aged women in the workforce. After all, it’s taboo, and it’s embarrassing.
We should feel free to discuss menopause with our manager, but we don’t. We want to hide it, and pretend we’re just fine.
It’s not the employers fault if they don’t know. We are part of the problem, and part of the solution, but we’re reluctant to do anything about it.
Why?
Let’s discuss that.
DISCRIMINATION
One of the biggest menopause hurdles to overcome is discrimination in the workplace. It’s not always evident that it’s happening. It’s nothing you would go to HR about, because it’s suttle.
If your hormones get the best of you and you swear at your co-worker, you want to keep it hush-hush. Why bring attention to your bad behavior?
But sometimes you can’t control yourself during menopause. For me, hormone fluctuations turn me into a miserable animal sometimes, and I can’t control my mouth like I normally do.
And there is never a warning for this behavior. It just strikes out of nowhere. We can’t say, “Oh well, it’s just pregnancy hormones.”
The young girls get away with that.
But if we say, “Oh, that’s the menopause,” people immediately cringe. It’s not as sweet as pregnancy. No, we’re just sour old pusses and it certainly ain’t pretty.
Menopausal women can be discriminated against just for being hormonal, or slow, or absent minded, all because of fluctuating hormones.
We are often made fun of for what? Going through the change?
It should be thought of as normal, but it isn’t.
We shouldn’t be afraid of telling people we are experiencing a hot flash and may pass out. We shouldn’t be afraid to say why we are acting the way we are. Least of all, we shouldn’t be afraid to communication to our employer that we feel ill.
Nobody should make fun of you for things you cannot control.
And that doesn’t happen at all places of employment. Many jobs are great, and provide support, or have programs set up so that you can get support when you need it.
I think if we communicated our needs better, most of our problems would be resolved, or at the very least, made easier.
Could discrimination in the workplace be eliminated with communication?
You be the judge. Try talking about menopause more. Help your manager, your co-workers, your customers, understand you better by telling them why you feel the way you do.
For me, communication is a great coping strategy when it comes to workplace dynamics, no matter what challenges you face in your life.
Try it, you might be pleasantly surprised that people will actually care more than you thought they did.
PRODUCTIVITY
When it comes to being productive at work, middle-aged women trump the workforce. I’m not just saying that because I’m one of them, but because I see it everywhere I go.
When a young person doesn’t show up for work, who fills the gap? The older person. Usually a woman. She throws herself into gear and takes on the work of two people, sometimes even three or four. And I’m not kidding. We’re dynamos!
When a young mother calls in sick because her little one has a fever, who does her work? Those that don’t have kids. US!
When a young woman goes on maternity leave, old faithful fills in. Usually the middle-aged woman that has been there for years, and has kids that have already grown up.
We older women know how to work. We’ve spent a lifetime raising our own children, juggling household finances, grocery lists, dirty diapers, mountains of laundry, teenager drama, and yes… even husbands!
We’ve done it all and for the most part, kept our sanity in check. We know how to get the job done because we’re doers!
No wait… We are the modern day equivalent to Wonder Woman! They should have made a movie about US! 
But sadly, because we have that Wonder Woman mentality, we sometimes don’t know when to stop. We are the ones that will work overtime, or after hours to make sure everything gets done, and we do that well!
Because we don’t know when to stop, we often burn out. And burn out during menopause, is a common occurrence. Not only are your adrenal glands working overtime, they are fatigued.
Your adrenal glands control your hormones.
And in a time like menopause when your hormones go out of whack, that puts a woman at greater health risk than normal.
Productivity can go up and down. What once took us 1 hour to do, might just take us all afternoon. That is something that needs to be understood by you and by your employer.
It’s not that we are slacking off, it’s that we are burnt out. Some days are like that, but some are not. As I said, it goes up and down during menopause and we need to know that’s okay!
The solution is, once again, communication. We can talk to the manager and say, “I’m really feeling overwhelmed today because my hormones are crazy. Menopause is challenging and this is one of those days.”
It’s worth a shot 😉
We shouldn’t be embarrassed to say, “I’m just not as productive as I normally am today. But tomorrow will be better.”
PERFORMANCE
Performance goes hand in hand with productivity, but I will add that performance issues during menopause can often show up in places we least expect.
In areas where we once had high self-esteem, we might find we feel very insecure. I’ve been there many times.
When it happens, I shake my head and say, “What’s the matter with me today?”
Especially with customers, we can find that we feel insecure and not as bold. You might think we’re blaming everything on menopause, but that’s simply not the case. Self-esteem goes up and down depending on mood, but definitely triggered by menopause.
Your weight can unexpectedly go up because of hormone imbalances and that causes self-esteem issues for sure.
Suddenly your clothes don’t fit. You can become uncomfortable in your own skin. It seems to happen almost overnight.
Your hair can even fall out. Hair is everything to a woman!
For me, if I have a bad hair day, my mood is low. When I was younger, it didn’t affect me as much. I pushed forward no matter what. But as a menopausal woman, I find it’s more challenging.
Sometimes a women doesn’t feel as pretty, or as youthful as before, and that affects your mood, which is affected by hormones, or lack of them.
All these things can severely affect your performance at work, and how you deal with co-workers, customer, or bosses in general.
A solution is to deliberately dress for success. It actually works. When I am feeling blue, or ugly, or like my self-esteem is taking a nosedive, I deliberately do my hair in a nice updo, or wear a beautiful outfit.
I find it always pulls me out of a bad mood, or boosts my self-esteem.
This will effectively help you perform better at work, and elsewhere as well.
SYMPTOMS
There are so many symptoms to menopause, I don’t even know where to start. And everyone is different as well.
So, what do you do with all those symptoms when you’re at work?
I find that humor is a good solution.
If you can joke about yourself, no matter what you’re going through, that is half the battle. When you take yourself so seriously, it actually makes menopause harder.
You might find that hot flashes are really making it difficult to service customers face to face. One minute you’re just fine, then the next minute your face turns red and sweat drips down your forehead.
Embarrassing!
I’ve been there many times.
It helps to be able to joke about it, and say, “Sorry, my face goes red sometimes. It’s just menopause.” And then chuckle and move on.
You might be surprised that people are understanding when you tell them what is happening instead of having them wonder what is wrong with you.
Or take for example, when you forget what you’re doing right in the middle of talking to a customer. Just say, “Uh… sorry. Menopause brain!” Not kidding, it actually works to lighten the mood, and to help you through the awkwardness of being forgetful.
People are more understanding than you think when they know what is happening.
And menopause makes you forgetful sometimes, but it’s not the end of the world. Just move on after you’ve made light of whatever your symptoms are.
Life happens in the workplace, and people understand that.
CUSTOMERS
As I’ve said before, customers are more understanding than you think. I find that when I don’t say anything, and I experience a hot flash, that’s when I’m the most anxious.
It builds in my own head, that they think I’m weird or sick or embarrassed or something, when really I’m just going through menopause and my forehead is sweaty.
Who cares!
I usually cope with wearing a sleeveless shirt. If I’m wearing anything with long sleeves or I forget to take my sweater off, I’m in trouble.
But taking off the sweater usually is all that is needed when dealing with customers in the workplace.
And if it becomes a problem, once again, the common denominator in this article is communication. Just tell them it’s the menopause. Do it quick and move on.
Works every time.
CO-WORKERS
Co-workers aren’t an easy fix. When you share a space with other people, there is bound to be some friction. That’s just how it is.
When everyone fights over the climate in the office, it’s good for them to know that you are struggling with hot flashes.
People are more accommodating when they know your struggles.
They want to know why you like the air conditioning so high, or the heat turned down. Without the explanation, they just think you’re selfish.
Explaining yourself helps a great deal. It doesn’t always solve the problem, but it helps. For another solution, I just try to treat people like I want to be treated.
You don’t always need the air conditioning so high. Try wearing sandals without socks. Taking your bare feet out and placing them on the cold floor when sitting at a desk, helps a great deal. It allows you to accommodate your co-workers who may be cold.
Also, when the heat is turned too high because everyone is cold but you are having hot flashes throughout the day, try going to the bathroom more often and putting a cool cloth on your forehead, or stepping outside to cool down.
There are always ways to cope without infringing on your co-workers. But if they know your struggles, that helps.
After all, it isn’t their fault you are in menopause.
Communication can also help when you are miserable. Give them forewarning that your hormones are acting up today, and you might explode.
Use some humor, and help them understand that menopause is natural.
Often times it’s US that don’t accept it as natural, so… we got some work to do. If we want other people to respect menopause and accept it as something that’s normal, then WE have to do the same thing!
It’s the only way to get through menopause! CHANGE the change!
MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health is a real struggle during menopause. Most people don’t understand the challenges we face both at home and in the workforce.
Depression and anxiety is very high during menopause, mostly due to our hormonal changes but sometimes for other reasons.
Sometimes we’re tired, worn out, and unhappy with our circumstances. We fought all our lives for a different kind of life, but we still have not achieved it.
We didn’t think we’d still be in debt.
Maybe we struggle with marital problems.
Maybe the job your in is not what you want.
Maybe you think you’ll never be able to retire.
Maybe your kids don’t speak to you or you aren’t allowed to see your grandchildren.
Circumstances play a huge part in your mental health, not just your hormones. But menopause seems to exacerbate the problems.
If you suffer with mental health issues of any kind, please seek help immediately.
Many places of employment offer assistance to their employees when dealing with mental health issues. I would highly recommend talking to your manager about it.
It helps when your boss knows what you’re struggling with. He will understand better. And he isn’t the old ogre you think he is. He’s a human being.
Often times, we make things up in our heads, like that our boss doesn’t care. Really, the truth of the matter is we just didn’t tell him.
He has no idea.
Once again, communicate to your boss, and let him know what you struggle with, so that when you call in sick, he will understand that it is part of your depression or anxiety, and that menopause is the trigger.
He will also want to know that your are seeking treatment because he actually does care what happens to you. And he does worry.
Don’t underestimate an employer’s concern for you. Yes, we all like to throw them under the bus without giving them a chance. So, talk to them!
And in the end, if you need to take time off, then do so.
Taking a mental health day is permitted by most employers, especially if they know what’s going on. Short term disability is also an option.
But for the most part, just having a day off does a world of good.
And make sure you’re getting enough sleep, because a good night’s sleep can do wonders for your mental health.
MANAGERS
As I said before, managers are not the bad guys we portray them to be. They are people like you and me, and they have feelings.
They worry about their employees, and care about them even though we don’t think they do sometimes.
Mostly, just communicate with them if you are having issues with menopause or anything else. You might be surprised at how accombinating they will be if you share your struggles with them, because after all, we all have struggles.
Even bosses!
FATIGUE
Fatigue does play a factor during menopause. As I said before, when our ovaries shut down, our adrenal gland is supposed to take over. Our adrenal gland controls our hormones.
If that’s not working properly we are in trouble. If we are in adrenal fatigue, we will struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome.
In other words we will be tired all the time.
As a menopausal woman, it’s important to make sure our adrenals are working. I drink an adrenal cocktail they call it.
Though I’m not a doctor, and I highly recommend you doing your own research and consulting a physician before trying any natural remedy, I will share what has worked for me.
I put a 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar into a glass, with a 1/4 teaspoon of pink hymilayan salt. I mix that together with natural squeezed orange juice and drink that on an empty stomach twice a day, either and hour before or after a meal.
The premise behind this drink is to heal your adrenal gland. The potassium in cream of tartar (which is just vegetable concentrate) will work at restoring your adrenals to working order. Without potassium, there is no restoring of adrenals whatsoever.
You NEED potassium!
For me, the adrenal cocktail has done wonders. It has helped me regain energy and has helped me through my work day numerous times.
COPING STRATEGIES
There are many strategies that help for coping with menopause in the workplace, and I could go through all of them individually, but I won’t.
Instead, I will just tell you the MOST beneficial one.
If you have been reading from the beginning you will probably guess it.
It’s communication.
Yes! COMMUNICATE!
It’s better than any natural remedy, prescription drug, or herb that you can take. BUT… it’s completely natural, or at least is should be.
We humans forget that we need to talk our problems out. We need to share our burdens to give other people a chance to care.
It’s easy to throw everyone into a category and say ‘nobody cares’ but that would be false.
Think about it from your perspective.
Can you help someone if you don’t know about their problem? NO!
So, share your burdens, explain your menopause symptoms and what you struggle with in the workplace.
It’s easy to take on that victim mentality, but that’s just caused from bottling everything up inside and not trusting other people to actually care.
They will!
Sure, some may disappoint, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Give people a chance to care.
And nine times out of ten, they will!
When you communicate, it opens the doorway, and then other people will have a path to you. Open that door, let someone in, and they WILL care!
That, in itself, is the number one coping strategy that has worked for me.
Communication can help both at home or at work.
If you are having difficulty coping with menopause, do something nice for yourself and tell a friend, or your family, or your boss.
Communicate!
At the very least, join the support group I started on Facebook called Menopause Maggie and talk about your problems, struggles, failures, successes, during menopause and beyond.
You might be surprised that communication is the best natural remedy of them all.
Click HERE For Other Articles on Crunchy Menopause.
References
- Science Daily
- The North American Menopause Society
- Harvard Health
- Endocrine Web
- NCBI (Pub Med)
- Alternative Medicine for Menopause (LCBI)
- Healthline
- WebMD
- Women’s Health Concerns
- Reader’s Digest
- Mayo Clinic
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Author Kathleen Morris
Kathleen Morris is a successful published author, blogger, and Youtuber. She enjoys writing about things she’s passionate about and making a difference in the world.
